Bucks report: Getting inside

The Bucks made one of the more curious moves before the NBA's trading deadline last Thursday afternoon.

That's when they decided to send rookie Larry Sanders to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the D-League.

But the 6-foot-10 Sanders, who was the Bucks' first-round selection in the 2010 NBA draft, played only two games for the Mad Ants, getting 15 points and 14 rebounds in one game and six points and six rebounds in the other before being recalled to Milwaukee on Saturday.

So why did the Bucks send Sanders to the D-League for such a short time?

The company line was the Bucks wanted to give Sanders extensive playing time, something he wasn't receiving with the Bucks.

But some league observers speculated the Bucks may have had hopes of bringing in another, more experienced big man via a trade or free agent signing.

One player who fit that mold to a "T" is Troy Murphy, whom the Bucks made a serious run at acquiring at last year's trading deadline. He was dealt to the Warriors this week but is likely to be released by Golden State.

However, Murphy is expected to wind up with the Celtics or another title contender.

BULLS 83, BUCKS 75: Milwaukee played a miserable third quarter, being outscored 31-20, en route to losing Saturday night in Milwaukee. The Bucks also had yet another pathetic shooting night, with Carlos Delfino going 3-for-13 from the field and Andrew Bogut going 2-for-10. The Bucks wound up making only 29 of 76 field-goal attempts (38 percent).